GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- A local spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen for the Cure says the organization's decision to halt breast-cancer screening grants to Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with the abortion issue.
Komen for the Cure halted most of Planned Parenthood's grants for breast cancer screenings last year.
Planned Parenthood officials say the decision was driven by politics and pressure from anti-abortion groups. But a leader of Komen for the Cure West Michigan says the move was based on the organization's new grant guidelines, requiring non-profits to pull their applications, if they are under investigation.
"We are not about abortions, one way or the other -- we are truly about breast health," says Emma Powell, executive director of Komen for the Cure's West Michigan affiliate. It is not a political issue. It is truly a call for the best use of our donor dollars."
"We've heard from thousands of women in the last two days, and their concern, like our concern, is making sure that no woman loses care because of this decision," says Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood.
Since the issue became public, Planned Pparenthood has collected more than $1 million from sympathetic donors. Meanwhile, at least one official from Komen for the Cure has reportedly quit.